Pension: for the present or the future
The KLM Ground Staff Pension Fund has over 32,000 members. Almost half are still working and building up pension benefits. About 11,600 people are already retired and receive a pension, and around 9,000 are so-called ‘sleepers’—people who left KLM before retirement age but still have pension rights from their time at KLM.
A pension is often seen as delayed (gross) salary—money that employees have earned and will receive later in life. Taxes are paid on it when the pension is paid out.
Every year, about €150 million in contributions is paid into the fund, and roughly the same amount is paid out to retirees. The total value of the fund and all the built-up pension rights is over €10.8 billion.
This money needs to earn returns to make sure the fund can continue paying pensions and possibly adjust them for inflation. To spread risk, the money is invested in government bonds, stocks, and real estate.
VKP, as an employee association, is closely involved in making pension agreements. KLM and the representatives of both employees and retirees—including VKP—jointly decide on the funding agreement and the pension plan rules: who pays what, and what kind of pension you will receive. These agreements are made in external negotiations and then laid down in an implementation agreement between KLM and the board of the KLM Ground Staff Pension Fund.
For the most recent agreements about your pension, please refer to the ‘KLM Ground Staff Pension Scheme Protocol 2021’. These are the current arrangements.
As part of the transition to the new pension system, the social partners prepared a transition plan in early 2024. You can find that plan here.
Want to know more?
You’ll find the latest news and important documents about pensions on our website:
* Pension news
* Pension documents
The board of the KLM Pension Fund has twelve members: three represent the employees, two represent the pensioners, five are appointed by KLM, and two are independent members.
VKP has a representative on the board of the pension fund. We also have a seat on the Accountability Council. Thanks to these roles, we stay closely involved in how the fund is run.
The Accountability Council reviews the board’s policies every year. It also advises on how the fund is organized, how internal supervision works, the communication policy, complaint and dispute procedures, and the board’s compensation. You can read the Council’s assessment in the fund’s annual report.
VKP also has its own Pension Committee. This is where our various representatives share knowledge and ideas. This exchange helps us stay informed and aligned—both in external pension talks and in the board of the KLM Pension Fund, where topics are discussed that are relevant to employment terms.
Want to know more about your pension benefits with KLM? Log in to the KLM Pension Fund website!